The present invention is directed to valve systems, and more particularly to a valve system for regulating flow and pressure in water treatment systems and other fluid flow systems.
Water treatment systems are well known for providing filtered, treated water. These systems typically include an inlet for receiving untreated water from a supply line, one or more filters for treating the water, and an outlet for the treated water. The treated water outlet may be connected to a outlet, such as a faucet, that can be opened (i.e. “turned on”) to dispense the treated water. Currently, many water treatment systems can only be used with a “three-line” faucet that includes a first line for untreated water supply to the water treatment system, a second line that receives the treated water from the system, and a third line that receives untreated water from a supply source. This configuration serves to limit pressure on the water treatment system when ‘waiting’ to dispense water, because the water treatment system only experiences pressure when the valve on the faucet is open. Unfortunately, there are only a limited number of styles and options for three-line faucets, creating a need for a system that enables the use of a standard single-line faucet for dispensing treated water from a water treatment system while limiting the pressure on the system.
In addition to water treatment systems, a variety of other fluid flow systems, such as hot water heaters, beverage vending machines, and hydraulic and pneumatic cylinder systems suffer from disadvantages associated with the constant fluid pressure on the system. The high fluid pressure experienced by many of these systems places a strain on the connectors, housings, and other system components, and can make it difficult to conduct maintenance on the system without shutting off the fluid source at a separate, and sometimes remote, location. Even greater problems are caused when this high pressure causes the water treatment system or another type of fluid flow system to fail, causing the fluid to leak continuously until it is detected and can be shut off at its source.